The Warren County School District’s reconfiguration deadline has been pushed back a little.

Strategy Solutions, the company contracted to facilitate the reconfiguration process, is now suggesting an end date of June 12, according to an agenda item discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Warren County School District physical plant and facilities committee.

May 22 was the previous target for the board to “select a preferred option.”

“I begrudgingly went along with bumping out to June 12,” board member Joe Colosimo said at Monday’s work session. “I’d like to try to hold June 12 to a hard date.”

“I think everybody is probably right there with you,” Board President Paul Mangione said. “If it wasn’t for some of the things that have popped up throughout the process – and they’re big popups…”

The board has added student leadership focus groups and a public survey to its public input. The results of neither of those were in the hands of the board on Monday. Board Member Donna Zariczny added that the board had not yet ranked the criteria it had decided upon to help evaluate the options.

“We were supposed to rank the criteria early on in the process,” she said.

Representatives of Strategy Solutions, the company contracted to facilitate the reconfiguration process, said a survey would be sent to each of the board members to establish those rankings.

“The public wants answers on certain things and we’re not at a point where we have those answers,” Mangione said. “If everybody can be patient for another couple weeks … we know what is going to be discussed on those nights that we have planned. That’s going to make for an easier lift. A few times we didn’t know what we were walking into that night. The expectation will be a little bit clearer from here on out. Hopefully the public will get the chance to hear those concerns addressed.”

Board Member Jeff Dougherty thanked the few speakers who addressed the board on Monday – both regarding reconfiguration and other issues.

“It is an emotional topic,” he said. “When you speak with respect, it is a lot easier to listen.”

There is still time for public input and one board member has requested some specifics.

“I threw out a challenge…” to the public, Arthur Stewart said. “They are very concentrated on their subjective concerns. ‘We want a small ratio… a community school…’ I want to know if the public is even interested in hearing my concerns.”

Last week, Stewart asked how small was too small to keep a school open.

“Is this the time we have to make that decision?” he asked Monday. “Someday will be that moment. I want to have that discussion…”

The board will hold its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, May 8.